and then she was gone
by NewtsSuitcase
Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken (more inside) [angst/friendship/family]
1. the last straw

Title: and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

 ** _Notes:_**

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for a while (if you want a prequel to find out how the began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

* * *

Maya ascended the rickety chipped fire escape ladder, slid her window up, and ducked into her room. She shut the window, and as she threw herself on to her bed, wanting nothing more than to sleep, heard the shouting.

"Why do you never do what I tell you? You were supposed to clean this house, and cook! Why can't you get a few little tasks through that skull of yours? Oh, right! Because you're a stupid, idiotic, worthless woman, Katy!"

There was momentary silence, then the shouting match continued.

"Me? Worthless? That's rich, coming from you! All you do is get drunk with your friends and do stupid things! I have a job too, you know! And unlike you, I'm trying to make this a good as possible home for OUR DAUGHTER!"

During her mother's retaliation to her father, Maya crept out of her room, ready to attempt to break up the fighting if need be. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Speaking of Maya," her dad responded. "She needs to stop fooling around with that art crap and focus on a career that'll actually get her somewhere in life!"

"She can do what she wants! She loves art, and she's good at it. If that's what she wants to do, that's what she'll do and what I'll support! It's her life— her choice!"

"That may be, but I don't want her to fail as badly as you did! It would ruin my reputation to have a failure for a daughter, AND A WIFE!"

It was at this insult Maya decided to take action.

She stormed into the living room, cerulean eyes flashing dangerously. "What did you just say?" She aimed her question at her father, whose anger was boiling and ready to spill over. It was from him from which she got her temper.

"Stay out of this Maya," her mom said softly, hoping her daughter would heed her warning.

"No, I won't," she replied, as she pivoted to face her father. "How dare you stand there, drunk off your ass bad mouthing us-" she gestured at herself and Katy, "when you're the one with the problems? You don't act like a father should. You know what? You are not my father. A father wouldn't treat his family like this. Shawn is more of a father than you'll ever be! He-" her shouting was cut off abruptly by the sound of a hand connecting with her face.

Her dad had slapped her. That was the little push Maya's brewing anger needed to be set off.

"How dare you talk to me like that! You are my daughter and you do what I say! I forbid you to talk to or about Shawn in my house!"

"YOU CAN'T CONTROL ME, FATHER! I'm almost 18— I'll be an adult in two weeks. An adult who can make her own decisions, and you have no control over me. That's what you hate, isn't it? Not having control over me."

"You ungrateful little brat. I gave you a home, and food, and an education, and you're going to throw it all away to do some art crap! You're going to amount to nothing; NOTHING!"

Despite how these words affected the blonde, she wouldn't let anyone see her weakness. She was about to retaliate when her mother stepped in.

"Don't you dare talk to MY daughter like that!"

And Mitchell's fist connected with Katy's face.

Katy stumbled backwards, clutching the side of her face, where the bruise was already beginning to form.

And Maya's anger erupted. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER! She's been nothing but good to you, and this is how you repay her?!"

Grabbing a vase, Maya hurled it at her "father's" head, smirking when it cracked against his face.

While she was congratulating herself, her father strode over, grabbed Maya by her golden locks, and yanked her over to the other side of the room.

"You will NOT disrespect me in my own house, you little bitch. Or else you're going to get it real bad."

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do to me _father?"_ she questioned, using a taunting tone on the last word, not letting any pain show through her voice.

"This," was the only word spoken as a fist collided with Maya's nose, creating a sharp cracking noise as it was broken.

Maya gritted her teeth together as the pain swept through her face, which was only increased as her father pushed her aside and her face banged into the wall. Her vision started to blur as black crept into the edge of her vision. She stumbled away, just barely making it into her room, closing the door behind her, before she blacked out.

When she came to, she gingerly touched her nose, not daring to look at it, but wanting to get a feel for how serious it was. She grimaced as her fingers made contact.

 _That's it. I'm not taking anymore shit from him. I'm leaving._

She grabbed her backpack, emptied it of her school supplies, and packed it with a few changes of clothes, her phone, laptop and their respective chargers and her sketchpad and pencils.

Quickly opening her bedside drawer, she grabbed a piece of line paper and a pen, and wrote a quick note.

 _Lucas-_

 _I'm sorry for not doing this in person, but I have to leave. I thought I could tough it out until I was 18, but after tonight, I can't. Tell the Matthews and Farkle I'm sorry for leaving like this. I have a plan. I'll be alright once I get there. I promise._

 _-Maya_

She folded the note, and crammed it into her pocket. She donned her backpack, glancing at her room. She wouldn't be back for a long time, if ever.

She crept into the kitchen, noting that the apartment was silent. Her father's coat was gone, meaning he probably went off to another bar. Then where was her mother?

She headed towards the bathroom, where she found her mother covering up the bruise that she was sporting on her right cheek.

She hugged her mom from behind, whispering to her. "You know I can't stay anymore mom. I have to go."

Katy turned around, embracing her daughter, avoiding her nose. "I know, love. I understand. Go. You'll be safe. I know you will. I trust them. I love you."

"I love you too, mom," Maya responded, tearing up as she pulled away from the embrace.

Katy placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead as Maya made for the bathroom door. "And Maya?"

"Yeah mom?"

"Make sure to get that nose checked out, yeah?"

"I will mom, I promise. I'll be on my way as soon as I drop off a note at Lucas'."

Katy smiled sadly at her daughter. "Good. Now go, before he comes back. And don't worry, I can handle it here," she added on as she saw Maya's worried face. "I promise."

"You always have Topanga."

"And you have Shawn."

They smiled at each other, and then Maya ducked out of the bathroom, leaving her mother to deal with _'s aftermath.

Maya entered her room, not daring to glance around and get sentimental. She slid open her window, and was about to duck out, when she noticed her bracelet on the windowsill. She grabbed it, slid it onto her slim wrist.

She descended the fire escape, disappearing into the night.

* * *

Maya walked the ten minutes to the Friar's. She glanced around, noting no one on their street.

She grabbed the note out of her pocket, and placed in on the doorstep, then walked away.

She made her way towards the edge of the town, almost to the top of the nearby hill, where she sat until sunrise, spending a few last hours in her home town.

And when the dew on the grass began to soak through her jeans, she stood, turned face her town, and was silhouetted by the rising sun. She checked her pockets for the money she had been saving for the past six years, then turned around, taking in the town.

The glistening dewdrops lay upon the grass as the morning sun made its ascent into the sky, warming the earth. A gentle breeze wove its way through the delicate flower petals that were scattered on the pavement.

There was silence as the cool breeze rustled through curtains in the quiet town.

A lone scrap of paper was swept up by the wind, tumbling throughout the air, guided towards a stream within the bounds of the isolated forest that lay on the edge of town. It was set down on the edge of the babbling brook. It remained there, until yet another gust of the breeze nudged it onto a branch barely anchored to the land. The water lapped at the edge of the paper, smudging the midnight blue ink upon it.

As the sun rose higher and higher into the sky, the water erased more and more of the ink upon the letter —until only the name of the recipient was legible (Lucas)— and then the note was carried downstream to where the rivulet met the expansive lake.

And somewhere in the town, when he woke up, a cerulean eyed teenager would be awaiting a girl that would wouldn't show.

(and somewhere, a golden haired teenager looked back at the town she used to call home, before facing away to the open horizon that lay in front of her. she trudged forward, and didn't look back again)

* * *

Lucas groaned as he slapped his alarm off, not wanting to wake up. He had been up late with Maya, and now was paying the price. He had gotten all but 4 hours of sleep, and it was just his luck he had to go in early today to make up a test he missed when he was "sick." In reality, he and Maya skipped school for the day and went to the nearby fair.

He closed his eyes, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep, but to no avail.

He groaned as he heard his mother knocking on his door. "Lucas, honey. It's time to get up. You don't want to be late! Pancakes in ten minutes."

Stifling a yawn, he got out of bed. He grabbed his phone from where it was charging, and sent off a quick text to Maya.

 _See you soon. Ready for the test?_

He grabbed his back after getting dressed, and headed downstairs to where his mom was setting a plate full of pancakes on the table.

"Did you get a good night's sleep, Lucas?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I did all my homework."

With a sigh, his mother set the pan she was holding down. "Lucas, honey. You can't keep doing this to yourself. I know how much you care about Maya, but you need to take care of yourself. Maybe you and Maya should stop with the nightly study dates, and just spend time with each other at school and on the weekends. You need sleep."

By this time, due to his mother's words, Lucas was wide awake. "No, I can't do that."

"And why is that? You two have almost every class together. It's not like you don't spend anytime together."

Lucas hesitated. His mother didn't know much about Maya's family situation. She knew her parents fought, but didn't all parents do that? "It's.. complicated. Her house just isn't the best place for her to be."

His mother opened her mouth to reply, when Lucas' father walked in. "What's going on here?"

"Lucas was up late again last night with Maya," was the response given.

"Son, I get you like this girl. But you have to stop doing this."

"No, I really can't. She's here with me a lot, or with Riley, because her house isn't a good place for her to be."

"It can't be that bad. All parents fight, and you said yourself that's all they do. There's no reason for this."

"Oh yeah, and what are you going to do about it?" Lucas snapped.

"Don't take that tone with your father, Lucas."

"You know what? I can do something about it, Lucas. Until this school year's over, you are expected home by 7, and are not allowed to leave after then, unless it's for a game. And when I say you are expected home, I mean just you, not anyone else. Unless it's for a project, and if it is for one, you will be doing it here in the kitchen where your mother and I can supervise. Ever since you and that Maya girl started dating, you haven't been the same. We can't trust you as much. You talk back to us, you break rules, you get detention. You skip classes and come home late. It's not acceptable, Lucas."

Scowling, Lucas left the kitchen without another word. He stormed upstairs to his room, grabbed his backpack and phone, then walked downstairs and out the front door, slamming it behind him. _So what if he was being rebellious? All teenagers do it. He wasn't_ Mr. Perfect _anymore. And who were they to stop him from spending time with Maya? He would just sneak out. It's not like he hadn't done it before._

Lucas stepped into his car, threw his backpack onto the front seat, and grabbed his phone to rant to Maya. He expected to see a reply to the text he had sent earlier, but there was none. He shook it off, assuming she slept in and was hurrying to get to school in time. He'd see his blonde beauty soon enough.

When he arrived at school, he made his way to the testing room.

He got his test, and was shown to the small room in the back. He quickly glanced around, not seeing maya, but assumed she'd be there soon, or was already in a different room.

Thirty minutes later, he finished the test, turned it in, and went to go find Maya. He walked towards her locker, and not spotting her, figured she and Riley (whose locker was next to Maya's) we're hanging out with Zay, Farkle and Smackle.

He dropped his stuff off he didn't need for the first half of the day in his locker, then went over to the art rooms, which is where the group usually met up.

Farkle, Riley, Zay, Smackle. But no Maya. Where was that blonde beauty?

His friends noticed him, waving him over. He subtly shook his head, indicating he was going to wait by Maya's locker for her.

Ten minutes had passed, and the warning bell had rung. Lucas had five minutes to get to class or he'd be late, which he'd rather not do, as his dad would be even more pissed if he got _another_ detention.

He slid into his seat in the back of his English class, and stared at the clock. Ever since he and Riley convinced Maya to apply herself back in sophomore year, she had managed to be a few honor classes. The trick was applying herself, because she had always been smarter than she appeared.

The bell rang again, and Ms. Lampone began the day's lesson.

Lucas took every opportunity he could to check his phone for a message from Maya, but no no avail. It was after the fifth time he checked in twenty minutes, Ms. Lampone confiscated his phone, and told him "You'll get it back at 3:30. No earlier, no later. Got it, Mr. Friar?"

So now Lucas was unable to communicate with the blonde girl, or anyone else for the matter. He resorted to watching the clock, counting down the minutes until the class ended. Unfortunately for him, the forty-five minutes felt like years, and it was only first period.

The day dragged on, and by the time lunch rolled around (6th period), Lucas felt like he had spent thirty years in the school.

He groaned as he sat down besides Farkle.

"What's the matter with you?"

"This day is going by way too slowly. I just want it to be 3:30 so I can get my phone back. Ms. Lampone took it."

"It's just a phone, Lucas," came from Riley. "What's so important that you checked it enough that it was taken and can't wait for?"

Lucas looked disbelievingly at his brunette friend. "Maya. She's not here."

"Yeah, yeah, I realized. She is my _best friend_ after all."

"So do you know where she is?" Lucas asked hopefully. "She hasn't texted me."

"She's probably fine, Lucas. You know Maya," Riley responded, waving the question off. "She's gone days at a time without saying anything to anyone and not showing up at school. Farkle and I are used to it. You should be too, at this point. She'll show up, don't worry. This is only the first day. Remember when she was gone for a month, Farkle?" she asked, turning towards the brainiac who was engaged in a debate with Smackle.

"Yeah, she was gone one day, and a month later, she showed up. No notice. It's Maya. She'll be back within a month. If she's not, then we worry, or if we get word from her mom."

Lucas didn't like it, but he let the subject drop. After all, Riley and Farkle had known Maya way longer than he had. He hadn't met them until middle school, and the other three had met and became friends years before that, back in first grade. If they weren't worried, why should he?

* * *

The rest of the day passed slowly, but finally the bell rang to signal the end of school. Lucas raced out of his history class, and almost ran to Ms. Lampone's office, which was located on the opposite side of the building.

"Can I have my phone back?"

Ms. Lampone opened a draw where multiple phones lay. She grabbed his, then responded. "Here you go, Mr. Friar. I don't want to see this out in my class again, understand? I want respect in my class."

Lucas nodded, not fully paying attention to what his teacher was saying, just eager to see if there was word from Maya. He took his phone, and went to his locker. He grabbed his notebooks out of his locker, then went to go sit on the bench out by the big oak tree in the middle of campus. He unlocked his phone, and opened his messages to see if there was anything from Maya. Nothing. All there was was a text from his mother:

 _I expect you to be home after practice. Your father and I have something to tell you._

He sighed. His parents were pressuring him to chose what college to go to, but he didn't want to think about his future. He didn't even know if he wanted to go to college right after high school, but alas, he had no real choice in the matter.

Lucas was about to turn his phone off and head towards the lockers rooms when he thought of something. _Why not go over to Maya's and see what's up? He could just tell his coach he's feeling sick, and ask to go home. His parents would think he was at practice, his coach would think he was at home._

Lucas grabbed his backpack, slung it over his shoulder and ran to his car that was, fortunately parked at the front of the lot. He slammed the car door, and sped off towards Maya's.

* * *

Upon arrival, he parked his car, and walked up to the door. He knocked, then waited for five minutes. Nothing.

Sighing, he walked around to the back of the apartment to where the fire red, paint-chipped fire escape was. He ascended the stairs, watching out for the sharp corners that were a result of the old fire escape not being cared for. He had snagged shirts on the stairs before, resulting in a whole bag of shirts being thrown away. Though, to be fair, it wasn't always entirely his fault. He and Maya had gone to a party once and it got a little crazy. They had made their way back to her place after, and she had been pressed against him, her lips on his and her mile long legs wrapped around his torso as he rushed them up the stairs.

Truth be told, that shirt would have been ripped off him anyways.

-/-

He knocked on Maya's window, hoping to see messy blonde hair and an annoyed expression greet him. Nothing. He peered into the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of life, but to no avail.

He slid open the window, thankful that Maya had left it unlocked. He slipped into the room, shutting the window quietly behind him. He crept towards the door that led out into the hallway, glancing out for any sign of life.

One foot in front of the other he made his way to the living where he had spent many late nights with Maya back in middle school, when her parents were never home, back when, believe it or not, it was easier for the blonde girl. As he entered the room, he gasped. There were shattered picture frames, a broken vase and water stains and flower petals on the floor. Lucas knew there were verbal fights in the Hart home, but he didn't know they got physical.

He began to panic, the worst case scenarios already playing out in his head. And then he saw the blood on the wall. [ _ **an**_ : from Maya's broken nose being slammed onto the wall]

" _Maya,"_ he whispered as he walked slowly closer to the wall. And though he hadn't been there, somehow he knew the blood was Maya's.

A slamming door broke his train of thought. Someone was coming. Lucas dived behind the couch, hoping it was Katy, and not Mr. Hart.

High heels clacked against the wooden floor as Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. It was Katy. He stood up, ready to question her.

"Lucas? What are you doing here? How'd you get in?"

"Maya's window was left op-" he trailed off, noticing the faintly visible black eye Katy was sporting, mostly concealed by makeup. He gestured hesitantly at her eye.

"It's nothing, Lucas. Don't worry about it," Katy replied hurriedly. "Why are you here?"

"Maya. She wasn't in school today, and Riley and Farkle told me not to worry because she'd be okay, but I had to come check because I had to know myself if something happened and no one was here until you got here, and I saw the mess and I-"

"Lucas, honey. You're rambling. Take a deep breath, then talk."

Lucas did as asked. "I wanted to know where Maya was, as she wasn't at school. She didn't tell me where she was."

Katy frowned. "But she did tell you. She told me before she left that she was going to leave a note at your house. And I know she followed through."

"What do you mean, she left? And what note?"

Katy sighed as she sat down. "This may take a while to explain. Sit down. And don't worry, my husband won't be home for hours."

Lucas glanced at the watch on his wrist, courtesy of Riley for his 19th birthday that had been two weeks previous. It was only 4:45, meaning he had two hours before he had to leave to make sure he'd be home in time. He nodded, and sat down next to his girlfriend's mother, ready to hear where Maya was.

* * *

A head of messy blonde curls was easily spotted amongst the businessmen heading home at the train station. Her eyes darted around the station, making sure no one in her class at school was there, coming home late after practice. Satisfied no one she knew was around, she walked in. All she carried with her was a black leather backpack strapped to her back. She headed towards the ticket office, grabbing money from the pocket inside her olive green jacket.

"How much for a ticket to Texas?

* * *

 _ **AN:**_ so this is my first GMW story, and I hope I do the characters justice. I know where this story is going, and it'll probably be around 10 chapters. I have little inspiration for my old stories on here, so they're still all on hiatus. Some will be re-written and continued in the future.

Review, follow and favorite!

~R5 is my life


	2. you're who?

Title: and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

 ** _Notes:_**

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for a while (if you want a prequel to find out how the began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

* * *

"Maya? What are you doing here?" Shawn groaned, rubbing his eyes. "It's," he glanced over at the clock on the cabinet, "1 am."

"I'll explain in the morning. Mind if I crash here for the night? I have no where else to go."

Shawn nodded numbly. "And what's with?" he trailed off, pointing at her nose.

She shrugged his question off. "Broken nose. Nothing fatal. I'll explain once I get some sleep."

Shawn opened his mouth to argue, but closed it, changing his mind. He knew better than to argue with Maya when she was like this.

Maya awoke early the next morning, noting the clock said 6:30. She threw her hair up into a ponytail at the back of her head, and donned a tank, shorts and her running shoes.

 _Shawn_

 _Be back soon, going for a run._

 _Maya_

Maya's feet pounded against the ground, taking her farther and farther from the house of the man she considered her father. Headphones in, she drowned out the outside noise and just ran for the hilltop garden that lay three miles away.

The beat of her feet melded together with the notes of her music, creating a symphony that calmed her frazzled nerves and let her forget the past night's events. All she needed was an hour to forget what happened, and why she was here, with Shawn in Pennsylvania, instead of picking up Riley and meeting Lucas at school back in New York.

She couldn't go back, not until she was 18. Two weeks. That was nothing.

When Maya reached the garden, she paused to rest on a bench, over looking the city. She breathed in the fresh air through her healing nose, relieved to be in a peaceful place where her past couldn't find her, where she was just Maya.

She didn't realize how long she had been there, until her phone rang, startling her out of her half-sleep.

"Hello?"

"Maya, it's been two hours since you left. You good?"

Maya groaned, pretending to be annoyed, when in reality, she was glad to have a father figure that cared about her, and not just his reputation. "I'm fine, Shawn. Really. Just got distracted. I'll head back now."

She snapped her phone shut, but not before seeing Lucas' name flashing across the screen, indicating a text. She ignored it, turning her music back up. She'd address that later. Or not.

* * *

 _I talked to your mom. She said you fell and banged your head against the wall, breaking it? You knocked things on the ground when you tripped. And that I shouldn't bother you; that you'll be back soon._

Lucas looked at what he typed out, not satisfied. He deleted in, and started again.

 _Are you okay? I miss you_

That was good enough for now. He'd try calling her later.

* * *

Katy hated lying to her daughter's boyfriend, but if he knew the truth, who knows what would happen. Yes, she may be rid of her husband, but there would be a series of other events that could change everything. Including taking her baby girl away from the people that meant most to her in the world.

And Katy wouldn't do that.

* * *

Lucas stared at the empty desk that stood in front of his, wishing Maya was there, so he could play with her hair. It had become a habit of his when their English teacher went off on a tangent. He would give anything to be able to run his hands through those golden locks he loved.

It had been a week since he saw her, and he didn't know how much longer of this he could take.

Riley had assured him Maya was fine, and even showed her an email to prove it. Riley had been the only one Maya had contacted. Lucas knew she saw his texts, but why wasn't she answering?

It was killing him, not knowing where she was.

He had called his sister who was still in Texas, attending college, to tell her about it.

 _"Amanda? Maya's gone. I don't really know how, or why, or when she's coming back and I miss her, and it's only been a week. We've been separated longer, but this break is the worse because I really know my feelings now. I think.. no, I know I love Maya. I don't know how much longer I can go without seeing her."_

 _"Lucas, breathe. I know what happened. Maya called me while she was on the train. All I know is she spent a short time with Shawn, then headed off in the way of Texas. But I don't know if she ever got her or not. All she said is that she's okay and she'll be back after her birthday, but before graduation."_

 _"Are you sure you don't know anymore? Because if you do, I need to know, Mandy."_

 _"I told you all I can, Lucas. I'm sorry."_

 _And with that, she hung up._

* * *

May groaned as the sunlight streamed through the window of her temporary room in the apartment of none other than Amanda Friar. After Maya had arrived in Texas, she had contacted her boyfriend's older sister, and asked if she could stay with her. And since it was Amanda's final year in college, she was staying in an apartment, rather than dorms. She was graduating in a week, two days after Maya's 18th. After hearing Maya's story, Amanda readily agreed it it, and also somewhat reluctantly, promised Maya she wouldn't tell her brother where she was.

They had been living together for a week, and Maya could not be more thankful. Amanda was like a sister to her, and who knows? maybe one day she actually would be. But for the meantime, she knew she was safe and somewhere no one would think to look for her, not after Amanda lied to Lucas. No one would ever think she lied.

Maya sat up, glancing to the right to check what time it was. 10:32, Tuesday morning. She should be in school, but she was far away from home, in Texas, no less. She groggily got out of bed, and headed towards the kitchen to get a muffin, throwing her hair up into a ponytail.

She dug her phone out of the pocket of her leather jacket that was draped over a chair in the dining room.

She had ten new text messages. The usual morning texts from Lucas and her mom, a random text from Farkle and a message with graduation information from Smackle. And then the only texts she'd answer (besides Amanda's)- Riley's.

She sent off a quick reply to Riley, then went about her day. She grabbed her laptop, and opened Riley's most recent email. Riley had been sending Maya all the homework she was missing, and in return, Maya would send back the completed homework. Maya's attendance was atrocious, but her GPA was great. The principal had been informed of the basis of the situation, so Maya would be allowed to graduate as long as her GPA stayed where it was.

Maya printed her calculus and chemistry homework out, saving the French for later. Grabbing her backpack, she dug out the calculator, notebooks and pencil case that she had bought soon after arriving in Texas.

She had just started her calculus homework when there was a knock on the reluctantly got up to see who was at the door. Probably another of Amanda's friends. Opening the door, she was greeted by a blonde guy, who was about a foot taller than the petite blonde.

"Hi, you must be Maya. Amanda's told me a lot about you. Except your full name. And your family members. And where you live. Sorry, I'm rambling," he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I get awkward when I meet new people."

Maya smiled. She had never met him before, but he instantly reminded her of her best friend. He rambled just like Riley did. "Yeah, I'm Maya. And you are?"

"I'm Amanda's friend, Bradley. Bradley Hart."

* * *

an: sorry this chapter is short, but I wanted it to end where it did. I'll post the next chapter hopefully within the next week. let me know what you think so far. the first few chapters will be shorter, so as not to add too much unnecessary detail. upcoming chapters will be longer, once I get to the real plot I came up with. if you want a sneak preview, review and tell me your theory about the QOTC. then PM me for a short preview, or a bit about the plot later on

 _ **QOTC**_ (question of the chapter): what do you think is Bradley's story, and what about his last name?

Comment, follow and favorite!

~R5 is my life


	3. identity crisis and big news

Title: and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

 ** _Notes:_**

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for a while (if you want a prequel to find out how the began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

[Lucas is graduating a month early- his last week is the week after spring break, and he graduates that Sunday]

* * *

Maya froze. His last name was Hart. Her last name was Hart. Was it just a coincidence? She decided to test it out. "Nice to meet you, Bradley Hart. My name is Maya Hart."

His face paled as he cocked his head, not saying anything as he took in her appearance. "Maya Hart, you say?" he asked nervously. "And where is it that you live?"

"New York," Maya retorted curtly. "but that's really none of your business. It only concerns my friends and family."

Ignoring her bluntness, Bradley continued firing questions at her. "Who are your parents? How old are you?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Maya interrupted the barrage of questions. "My life doesn't concern you. If you're neither friend or family, I don't need to tell you my life story," was punctuated with a slam of the door.

Good riddance, he's annoying. I feel sorry for his friends, Maya scowled.

There was a knock on the door, and Maya swung the door open. "What do you want?" she asked irritated, eyes gleaming with annoyance.

"Can you tell Amanda I have her psychology book? I borrowed it to take notes since I was absent," he replied, taking a thick book out of his side strung backpack.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever Bradley," she mocked his name.

Rolling his eyes, Bradley adjusted his bag. "See ya, Hart," he called as he walked away.

"You wish, Hart," Maya replied to his retreating back, slamming the door again.

* * *

"You're grounded."

Lucas groaned and rolled his eyes. His parents had been on his case even more since Maya left. They thought since she wasn't around to influence their son, they'd be able to make him "normal" again. Though they respected Lucas's choice in girlfriends, they didn't like Maya much. Sure, she was fine when they were just friends and they didn't hang out as much, but now that they spend more time together…

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young man," his mother retorted. "You should respect your parents. You used to, until you and Maya started dating. You were such a gentleman back in Texas, save for that fight. But you started to change the minute we moved here. Maybe," she glanced at her husband, who gently nodded. "You should go back to Texas and stay with Amanda during spring break."

"What? Do I have to? I have to chose a collage still. And I'll be graduating the Sunday after spring break and I still have to finish my last essay. You know, the one about graduating early? Also, I'm helping Riley and Farkle with one of their projects. How am I supposed to do that if I'm in a different state?" Lucas huffed, the lie rolling of his tongue easily. In reality, he had already finished, but he didn't want his parents to know that. As much as he loved his sister, he didn't really want to go back to his home state, where people knew how to push his buttons.

"I'm sure Riley and Farkle wouldn't mind doing a little extra work. They're smart, they can handle it. They can just email you if they need to talk to you. I want you to go to Texas and stay with Amanda. She has a guest bedroom. I'll call her right now."

And just like that, the matter was decided.

Lucas was going back home.

* * *

Maya scowled at the person sitting across from her at Amanda's dining table. Her scowl deepened as all he did was raise an eyebrow, seemingly unaffected by the petite firecracker's intimidating face.

Maya broke the silence. "Why is he here?" She glared at Amanda, nodding at the guy still sporting his side bag.

Rolling her eyes, Amanda responded. "Obviously, something's up with you two. It's been a week, and whenever Bradley comes over, you stomp away. And Bradley won't stop asking questions about your personal life. You may not know anything, Maya, but Bradley sure does. And you guys need to work it out." Standing up, Amanda grabbed her rose colored sweater, calculus book, notebook, pencil and calculator, and headed for the door. "I'll be sitting outside the door. And until you," she glared at Bradley, "tell Maya what's up, you aren't leaving."

As the door closed, Maya angled her body towards the one other person in the room. "So, you know something." She made her way towards him, and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him up to meet her face. "Tell me."

Squirming, Bradley raised his hands to protect his face. "Fine, fine. You may want to sit down though."

Maya nodded curtly, placing herself on the rustic wooden chair besides his.

"My parents are Katy Hart and Robert Fletcher. When I was four, my parents were divorced, and my father took full custody of me. He believed my mother wouldn't raise me properly, that I would take an unsuccessful path. I saw my mom for the last time two months after that, right before we moved to here, to Texas. She had a new boyfriend, Mitchell. And she told me that she hoped one day I would be able to meet my younger sibling, who would be born in eight months.

Despite the distance, she tried to keep in contact with me as much as possible without my father knowing. Her letters would be sent to a neighbors, and I would go over under pretense of helping out. She told me I had a little sister, named Maya Penelope. She told me she was remarried.

Years later, when I was 16, my father found out about the letters. He made sure they were all destroyed, but not before I managed to save the most recent." Glancing over at Maya's impassive face, he couldn't tell what she was thinking. "And it was a big one. Mom had been suspecting for a while that something was different about Maya Penelope, as she didn't look much like her father. She did a paternity test one day when he was away for a business trip. Turns out, your father isn't your father. She, after a couple more years, was able to figure out your real father."

Maya's brain was spinning, miles per hour. The man who she had been calling dad for the past almost 18 years wasn't even her father. She wasn't related to that bastard. But then, who was her father? She couldn't believe she was trusting someone she hadn't known long, but there was no way he could make that up. And now that she was looking at him… he did look like her mother.

"Then who?" Maya asked hesitantly. Did she really want to know who her real father was?

"Maya Penelope, your real father is a man named Shawn Hunter."

* * *

an: so, that was a plot twist, huh? how will Maya take it?

there'll be more explaination about the two Hart siblings' lives later on, and how they act, now that they are reunited.

 **QOTP:** How will Maya react to learning who her real father is?

 **QOTP 2:** I've mostly been focusing on Maya and Lucas' lives. Do you want to see more of someone else? If so, let me know. (ex. Amanda, Bradley, Riley, Farkle, Smackle, the Matthews, Katy, Mitchell or Robert, Shawn)

Review, follow and favorite!

~R5 is my life


	4. rumors and revelations

Title: and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

 ** _Notes:_**

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for a while (if you want a prequel to find out how the began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

[Lucas is graduating a month early- his last week is the week after spring break, and he graduates that Sunday]

* * *

Riley sighed as she sat down at her bay window, glancing out at the darkening sky. She missed Maya, but she understood why she left. She was grateful that her best friend continued to keep in contact with her, but didn't understand why she wouldn't reach out to Lucas, or even Farkle for that matter. She, Maya and Farkle had been friends for years, and it felt weird for all of them not to be talking. And Lucas, even if they hadn't known him as long, meant just as much.

 _I'll never fully understand Maya._

"Riley, sweetheart! Dinner!"

Riley trudged to the table, knowing that, yet again, her best friend- her sister- wouldn't be there waiting for her. It had been weeks since she had a sleepover with her, and Riley missed sitting on the bay window alongside the blonde that had been her best friend for most of her life.

"Still missing Maya, sweetheart?" Topanga asked softly, knowing to be cautious around her daughter.

"Of course I am, but I have to be strong. For Maya. She's be strong for this long. Now it's my turn," Riley announced, voice quavering slightly on the word strong. She wasn't used to having to hold her head up high and not bat her eyes at any rumors that were being spread. And boy, were there a lot of them. Most courtesy of Missy Bradford and her group of friends.

 _Oh, Maya? Yeah, I heard she cheated on Lucas and got knocked up. To save face, she ran. Poor Lucas, he doesn't deserve a slut like her. He should be with me._

 _That bitch? Who cares? I heard she ran away to join a group of lesbians or something._

 _She broke Lucas' heart, and to mess with him even more, she ran away to Texas to be with one of his old friends._

 _She has a boyfriend back in Texas and she broke it to Lucas by showing him her engagement ring._

 _She had been stealing from the Matthews for years and tricked her friends into thinking she was poor, and now that she's loaded, she's off to Vegas._

 _She had to go into hiding, and she had to be relocated and given a new identity._

It was hard to hear horrible things about her sister, but she couldn't give in like they wanted her to. They wanted her to fight back, for Lucas and Farkle to be at her back. But she wouldn't give in. When she was younger, she would've automatically ran to her father and complained. But three years of high school taught her a lot. She wasn't the same sweet, innocent girl she used to be. Sure, she was nowhere near Maya, but she had grown up. She had taken self defense classes, and knew how to tie someone up with rope, thanks to many years of friendship with Lucas. She knew which pressure points to press to knock someone out cold, thanks to Farkle's genius and how to insult someone due to Maya. She could handle herself, and anyone who pissed her off enough. But she's never resorted to that, because, despite the fact that she grew up, it wasn't her. If she ever had to, she could, but she wouldn't without good reason.

And just like that, Riley's defensive walls came crashing down, like a wall with too much water pressure pushing in on it. Tears flowed down her pale skin, the light coat of mascara she was wearing smudging. She collapsed in on herself, body folding up as small as possible. She just wanted her sister back. Was that too much to ask for?

Rushing over to her daughter, Topanga wrapped her arms around Riley. They sat together on the couch as the older Matthew let her daughter cry.

As her sniffling died down, Riley wiped her tears away. At first, she hadn't realized why she had gotten so emotional. She had been before, of course, but why had she cried this much now? And then it hit her. Tomorrow was Maya's eighteenth birthday, the first birthday they wouldn't be spending together since they met, a few months after Maya's eighth birthday.

"It's Maya's birthday tomorrow, mom."

"I know it is, sweetheart. Do you want to have Lucas, Farkle, Zay and Smackle over? We can have an honorary party for her, and you can call her. That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

Riley nodded, already pulling out her phone. "I'll text them now."

* * *

To: Smackle, Farkle, Lucas, Zay  
From: Riley

 _Hey, we're going to have an honorary party for Maya tomorrow, since it's her 18th bday. Can you come over after school? We can call her._

* * *

Almost instantly, she got a response from Lucas.

To: Riley  
From: Lucas

 _Yeah, definitely. I wouldn't miss it. I've been missing her a lot, and I'd love to hear her voice again. What time?_

* * *

To: Lucas  
From: Riley

 _Let me ask._

* * *

Quickly texting Maya, she asked when she'd be free to talk. After anxiously staring at her phone, she got a response ten minutes later.

To: Riley  
From: Peaches

 _I'm free all day, and I'd love to talk to everyone. Except Lucas._

* * *

To: Peaches  
From: Riley

 _Why not? Don't you miss him? He misses you more than anything._

* * *

To: Riley  
From: Peaches

 _Of course I do. It's just… it'd hurt even more to hear him, but not see him. I'll give you a message you can pass on, but I can't talk to him, Riles. Promise me you won't make me?_

* * *

To: Peaches  
From: Riley

 _Ugh, fine. You're lucky you're my best friend._

* * *

She set her phone down, contemplating how to tell Lucas that his girlfriend didn't want to talk to him. Maybe she'd tell everyone else to come early so they could talk to their runaway friend, then tell Lucas Maya was busy and couldn't talk? It'd have to do.

To: Riley  
From: Farkle

 _Yeah, I'll be there. What time?_

* * *

To Farkle  
From: Riley

 _4 pm. Tell Smackle and Zay. I've got Lucas. He's a special case. I'll explain later. Just don't let him know you're coming over early. Please?_

And with her friend's promise to keep it a secret, all Riley had to do was tell Lucas to come over at 4:30.

* * *

Friday morning came, and Riley stared glumly out her window, rain pattering against the glass. Riley sat, hoping against her better judgement that Maya's face would appear at the window. Looking over at the wrapped present topped with a blue ribbon on her dresser, Riley ran her fingers along the chain around her neck.

Back when Lucas and Maya started dating, the two girls hit a rough patch. Riley wanted Maya to be happy, but it was hard to see her with Lucas. But she made an effort to support them, and now she couldn't picture either of them with anyone else, including herself. When Riley had finally come fully to terms with her friend's relationship, she and Maya had gotten matching necklaces. It was a symbol of their friendship, both lockets containing two pictures: one from the day they met, and one from the day they gifted each other with the necklaces. Glancing at her clock, Riley noticed it was time to meet Lucas and Farkle, so she grabbed her back and slowly walked out of her room, watching the window for as long as possible.

* * *

The day had gone by slowly, at finally school let out. Riley rushed home to help her parents finish setting up.

At exactly four, Farkle, Smackle and Zay showed up, all carrying presents that they would gift to their friend once she came back.

The four friends gathered on the bay window, arms pressed against each other as Riley dialed Maya's number, which she knew by heart. They waited with baited breath as the phone rang once, twice-

"Hey Riles," came Maya's voice. "Zay, Smackle, Farkle. I miss you guys."

"Who are you talking to?"

Riley looked confused at the male voice shouting at her friend. She didn't know who Maya was staying with, and was curious to find out.

"Shut it, Bradley," Maya yelled back. "Sorry about that. He does his best to get on my nerves. I don't know how anyone can stand him when he's like this. He annoys me, so I do my best to reciprocate the favor."

"Who's Bradley?" Zay questioned, a suspicious look on his face.

"Just a friend of who I'm staying with," Maya replied indifferently. "Anyways, what's up with you guys? Anything interesting since I left?"

Glancing at each other, the four friends silently agreed not to tell Maya the rumors spreading unless she asked. No one except them, Lucas, the Matthews and the principal knew why Maya had left.

"Nothing."

"You sure about that, Smackle? What about the rumors? I know there have to be some. I bet they're all from Missy, right?" came Maya's excited voice.

"Just.. just a few, Peaches."

"I'm waiting."

Sighing, Riley recounted the countless rumors being spread. She wanted to avoid this, but knew her friend well enough. Maya liked being a mystery.

As the time neared 4:30, Riley warned her friend that Lucas would be there in five minutes.

Riley heard a sigh come from across the phone as Maya drummed her fingers against a table. "Guess I gotta go now, huh Riles? I wish I could talk to you guys longer, but you know I can't… I can't handle talking to Lucas without seeing him," Maya replied in a pained voice.

"I know," Riley responded softly, switching out of speaker to mode, silently telling her friends to leave the room. They quietly filed out of the room to go wait for Lucas. "I know how much he means to you, and that this is hard. Do you think you'll come home soon?"

"I don't know, Riley. I sure hope so. I'm working something out here, and soon as I'm done, I'll come home. I promise."

Nodding her head, despite the fact that her friend couldn't see it, Riley voiced her final question. "Do you want me to pass on a message to Lucas?"

"Tell him I miss him, and that I'll be coming home soon. No more than a month. I'll be back for graduation. Well… I guess not his, but ours. I'll text him when I'm back. I promise to see him the day I get back, or the next day. I have something important to tell him."

"Can I know the something important?"

"In these weeks I've spent away from you guys, I've come to realize exactly how much Lucas has come to mean to me. I realize I- I-"

"You what, Maya?" Riley asked gently, knowing the blonde needed a push.

"I love him. We haven't said it to each other yet. I was too scared to fall in love in the beginning, and he respected that. He taught me what it was like to be with someone who cares unconditionally. We said other things, but never those three words. When I get back, I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell Lucas I love him," Maya responded confidently, despite the sniffling.

"And I know he loves you. You mean the world to him, and I'm glad you to realized your feelings for each other."

"Thank you, Riley."

"Why are you thanking me? I didn't do anything."

"Yeah, Riles, you did. At first I only tolerated Huckleberry because you liked him. You were his friend. Because of that, over time I got to know him, and became friends with him, and not just because we had you in common. And then, even though it hurt and our friendship got rocky, you accepted our feelings for each other because you wanted us to be happy. So yes, Riley, you did do something. You're the reason I ever became friends with him in the first place."

"Then you're welcome, Maya," Riley grinned. Hearing a commotion coming from the living room, she reluctantly wrapped up their conversation. "Lucas is here. I gotta go. See you soon?"

"Yeah, Pumpkin. See you soon." And with that, Maya hung up, leaving Riley to deal with lying to Lucas (she's busy, and only had a few free minutes right after school. Oh, the others? They got here about five minutes ago) and pass on the message.

And for the first time in weeks, Riley let herself hope. Her sister would be home soon. She promised.

* * *

an: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. let me know what you thought!

Review, follow and favorite!

 **QOTC: Have you seen the Girl Meets Texas promo? GAH! What do you think about it?  
** _(also, I guess, have you seen the Girl Meets Rileytown promo?_

 **QOTC 2: Whose perspective should I write next?**

~R5 is my life


	5. catching up and a new arrival

Title: and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

 ** _Notes:_**

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for a while (if you want a prequel to find out how the began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

[Lucas is graduating a month early- his last week is the week after spring break, and he graduates that Sunday]

* * *

It had been a long week, working out the Hart family situation with Maya Penelope. It had been a week long series of shouting matches and tears, mostly on Maya's side.

Bradley hadn't realized what his sister had gone through the past eighteen years, when he hadn't been around. And he thought he had it bad…

 _"You don't know how bad I had it," Maya whispered softly, eyes starting to water._

 _"You can't have had it worse than me. My father pressured me to excel at school and sports, which I hated. And he wasn't even around half the time. Really, the only time I saw him was at my games. That's the only reason I played baseball. So I could see my dad. He yelled at me when I made even the slightest mistake, even when my coaches or teachers said I did well. It got bad enough that I ran away from home four year ago. I haven't seen my father since then. Sure, he calls, but I don't answer. He kept me from my mother. From you, Maya Penelope."_

 _Snorting, Maya responded. "Is that all? That's not bad. At all."_

 _Glaring, Bradley retorted. "I bet you've had a great life. Tons of friends, parents always there, getting whatever you want. Being a spoiled brat._

 _"You think I've had a perfect life? Guess again, asshole," Maya fumed. "Try living with a man who calls himself your father, mother always gone. And the reason she's always gone is because her husband abuses her. She leaves her daughter alone with a monster for years. I lived with half a mother and an abusive father. I only had three friends until around eighth grade. I'm far from popular. I only have five friends now. I spent most of my early life at my best friend, my sister's house because mine wasn't safe. I have bruises and scratches and scars from the abuse. I was depressed and have the marks from that. You see my nose? Yeah, the man who says he's my father broke it the night I ran. He treats me and mom like crap. There were years I wanted to die. When I tried. And almost succeeded. I was in the hospital for months, I was that bad. And the asshole who calls himself my dad didn't even care. He yelled at me for it, and hit me. I moved out for a while. I went a couple weeks later, at his insistence. I had no choice. And I had made up my mind to leave as soon as I turned eighteen. But I didn't last that long." _Tears began streaming down her face. "I haven't seen my friends in weeks. I can only bring myself to talk to one regularly, but only because she's like my sister. I've only talked to three others once, and I can't bring myself to talk to Lucas because it hurts too much. And I can't see them for a while longer. So don't you DARE say I've had it easier." And with that, she ran into the room she had been calling hers for the past few weeks, slamming the door behind her.__

 _All Bradley could do was stand there, a shocked, pained look on his face._ All that happened to his baby sister? To Maya Penelope? It was completely different from how she acted when he met her. Strong, confident, fiery.

 _Snapping out of his thoughts, Bradley went to knock on the door, hoping his sister would open up to him. It saddened him that she had to experience all of that, with not many people to turn to when she needed help. He wished he could've been there for her. And though he could not change the past, he could change the future. He could be there for his sister from now on._

 _When he didn't hear a response to his gentle knock, he waited a minute until he knocked again, only this time with more force. "Maya Penelope?" he whispered. "Can I come in?"_

 _He waited with baited breath as he heard a sob, then shuffling feet against the cream colored carpet. The door opened slowly, squeaking as its rusty hinges were forced to move._

 _"What do you want?" Maya stood in front of him, tears clinging to her eyelashes that framed her red eyes, makeup streaming down her face. Her small frame, wrapped up in a black and blue sweatshirt, was still shaking from sobbing._

 _It broke his heart to think that she had lived through so much, mostly on her own. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what you had gone through, and I had no right to assume anything. I don't want us to be like this. I want us to get along. All my life I wanted to meet you, and now I have. I don't want to mess this up."_

 _He watched her eyes, hoping to see forgiveness, but her eyes remained the same. Instead, she took a step back, opening the door further. He took the silent command, and slowly entered the room, glancing at the dresser in the corner of the room. There was a smiling Maya with five others (those must be her friends) smiling in a picture frame that was most prominent. Slightly behind it was a picture of Maya with her mom… Our mom, he thought. And on the other side was a picture with a slightly younger Maya with the smiling brunette from the other picture, a younger boy, who looked to be the other girl's brother, and who he assumed were their parents._

 _He smiled slightly, glad to know that his sister had had reliable people who loved her back in New York. He knew they had to be worrying, but understood now why Maya had ran._

 _Glancing back to Maya, he noticed she had perched herself in the bay window, wrapping the over-sized sweatshirt tightly around her, pulling her knees into her body._

 _He cautiously plopped down next to her, not sure what to do. Instead of saying anything, he studied her as she continued to stare out the window, like she was expecting someone._

 _"This is when Farkle usually showed up. Me and Riley would be sitting here talking, and he'd open up the window. He's been doing it for years, ever since the three of us became friends more than ten years ago."_

 _Bradley decided the best thing would be to listen to her as she recounted tales of her friends, prompting her only when he could tell she needed it._

 _"At first it was just me and Riley, and then we met Farkle. It was just us against the world until middle school. Until Lucas. I didn't like him at first. I was scared he was going to ruin our friendship. Farkle wanted a best friend, and while Riley and I were his friends, he needed a guy to talk to. And Riley had a crush on him. I was afraid they'd leave me for Lucas, so for a while I called him names and picked on him about his Texas heritage. Ranger Rick, Sundance, Hopalong, and my favorite, Huckleberry. But over time, we became friends, if not somewhat reluctantly on my part."_

 _It was quiet for a moment, all that was heard was the wind outside the curtains. "And then came Zay and Smackle. Zay is Huckleberry's friend from Texas and Smackle was Farkle's arch rival in academics. They became part of our odd group of friends. The star athlete, the always smiling girl, the broken rebel, the weird genius, the troublemaker, and the girl who wanted nothing more than to be normal. We were all completely different, but that's what makes us work," Maya murmured, pulling the sleeves of the sweatshirt over her hands, bringing them up to her face. "And then high school. Lucas and Riley dated for a year, until they realized they didn't love each other like that. They broke up, and surprisingly, everything went back to normal for the summer. And then I got bad. I don't like to talk about that much. It took a while, but then Lucas and I started dating. And we have been since then. This is his sweatshirt I stole from him," Maya grinned slightly. "Life got better, and the six of us braved the world together. And now, we're here."_

 _Bradley smiled as he noticed his sister's eyes light up as she talked about her friends. At the moment, he didn't even care that this Lucas could break her heart one day. He was just glad to see her happy. He wiped her tears and makeup away with his thumb as he inched closer to her. He gently hugged her, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm glad you've had such good friends at your side. I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there for you until now. But from now on, I promise to be there for you whenever you want."_

 _They stayed like for that awhile, until Maya fell asleep. Bradley gently lifted his sister up, and placed her on her bed. He turned out the light as he left, pulling the door gently shut behind him._

It had been a week since that incident, and now he felt like they were actually siblings rather than strangers. They had learned a lot about each other, and the lives they've lived. She told him her fears, and he told her his hopes.

It was closing in on Maya's spring break, and in order to get to know each other, Maya moved out of Amanda's flat into her brother's. The move had occurred the Friday before her week long break.

And it was only after she moved out that Amanda had told her that Lucas was coming to Texas for a week, at their parents insistence.

Maya didn't outwardly panic, but she was afraid she'd see him. She knew Amanda and Bradley would keep her secret, but she couldn't risk running into them on the streets. So she packed up her stuff and convinced her brother to go on a one week road trip. After all, she only had two more weeks until she was going back home. She missed home and wanted to go back.

* * *

Groaning, Lucas walked out to the curb to await his sister. He kept a lookout for her blue Toyota, all the while watching his phone, still holding on to his last shred of hope that Maya would call or text him. All he saw was a glowing screen, the background picture of him and the petite blonde smiling up at him. He smiled sadly as he sifted through all the pictures they had taken together since they became a couple.

"Lucas!"

Looking up, the boy in questions saw his sister waving to him from a few feet away. He grinned, glad to see her, as he rarely saw her since she went off to college and he had moved to New York. He scrambled into the car after placing his bag in the back seat.

On the ride to her flat, Lucas forgot about all the worries that he had been saddled with since his girlfriend left.

Laughing as he stepped into her flat, he followed her to the guest bedroom. He pushed open the door, and was immediately hit by the scent of oranges and pine, Maya's signature scent. He stopped, just breathing because this is the closest to Maya he had been since she left, and it was just her perfume.

"Lucas? Everything alright?" Amanda asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Yeah, yeah," he responded distractedly. "Just smells like Maya."

"Must be because I use the same perfume. She told me the one she liked and I bought it," Amanda replied nervously, which went unnoticed by her brother.

He nodded as he stared out the window, wishing his friends were all together again.

* * *

an: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to put this one up early, as my personal way to celebrate my birthday

 **QOTC: Do you think Lucas will figure out that Maya stayed with his sister?**

 **QOTC 2: Whose POV do you want to see next?**

Review, favorite and follow!

~R5 is my life


	6. changes and questions

Title: and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

 ** _Notes:_**

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for a while (if you want a prequel to find out how the began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

[Lucas is graduating a month early- his last week is the week after spring break, and he graduates that Sunday]

* * *

Lucas groaned as the light streamed in through the flimsy white curtains. His arm flopped over his eyes, in an attempt to shield his eyes from the morning sun. He didn't move for ten minutes, then reluctantly dragged himself out of bed. Staring at himself in the mirror, Lucas noted that he was now sporting bags under his eyes from constantly worrying about his girlfriend, rather than sleeping. Maybe Texas would be good for him, and maybe he would actually get a good night's sleep. His feet padded silently against the carpeted floor as he made his way to the kitchen where his sister was waiting for him.

"Anything you want to do today?"

Shaking his head, Lucas grabbed a cup out of the cupboard and went to the fridge, grabbing the orange juice. "Nah, I think I'm just going to stay in and finish my essay. I just need to proofread it, and then I can turn it in. I want to get it out of the way."

Nodding understandingly, Amanda stood up, her coral skirt swishing. She deposited her mug in the sink, then headed towards the door. "I'm just going to run out and grab a few things I need. I'll be back in twenty. Make yourself at home."

Lucas settled down on the black cushy chair located in the corner of the room he was staying in. He grabbed his laptop, and started reading over the essay he had to write. He looked up a little while later, convinced he had been staring at the glowing screen for hours, but when he glanced at the clock, it turned out he had only been reading it for ten minutes. He groaned as he stretched his legs in front of him. He set his laptop on the floor and got up. Impulsively, he grabbed his wallet, wrote a note to his sister ( _Going out for a walk. Be back soon.)_

He walked down the familiar streets of his home town, passing many stores he recognized. Looking both ways to make sure no one he knew saw him, he ducked into a dimly lit building.

* * *

45 minutes later, he exited the building, nothing different save for the gauze on his back. He slid his sunglasses on as he walked down the street. He wasn't the same Lucas anymore.

* * *

He arrived at his sister's flat an hour after he left, calling out to Amanda to let her know he was home. As he heard her footsteps near him, he anxiously pulled his shirt sleeve down, and took his sunglasses off with the other hand.

"Hey little bro," Amanda ruffled Lucas's hair.

Playfully scowling, Lucas replied with "you may be older, but I'm still taller," as he fixed his hair.

Laughing, Amanda filled a glass up with water, then settled down across from her brother. "How was your walk? Do anything interesting?"

Lucas shifted nervously, his feet shuffling against the ground. "No, just got some food. That's all."

Raising her eyebrow, Amanda glanced at him. "If you're sure. I won't press, but I know you're lying to me. You are an adult now, so I trust you can make your own decisions. But if I find out it's life threatening to anyone, I won't hesitate to tell mom and dad."

Nodding his head, Lucas headed back to his room, reassuring his sister that _no, it isn't life threatening or dangerous_. Closing the door, Lucas pulled of his shirt, wincing slightly as he rubbed against his bandaged shoulder. He flopped down on the bed, and lay on his stomach, scanning the room. His eyes slowly began to flutter shut, as he felt the weeks of little sleep finally catch up to him. Something glinted from the sun shining through the window, but he pushed it aside for the moment. He'd check that out later, after he got some sleep.

He awoke three hours later, joints stiff from curling up during his sleep. He yawned, covering his eyes with his arm to stop the rays of light from hurting his eyes. As he moved to get up, he saw the glint again. Curious, he walked over to where it was coming from, spotting a necklace of some sort under the dresser. He reached under, grabbing the delicate golden chain and pulled it out. He stood up, examining it. He stopped, eyes widening when he realized what he was holding. It was Maya's. It was the charm bracelet that he had gifted her for their first anniversary. It had been a crazy year, full of emotional ups and downs, but they had made it. And from that day on, their relationship just got stronger. _How the hell did this get here? He ran his fingers gently along the chain, letting his fingers rest on each charm. The guitar, the paint palette, the cowboy hat, the microphone, the intertwined hands, the heart with their initials. Making sure he didn't tangle it, he stuck it in his pocket, and went to go find Amanda. He had some questions for her._

He found her chatting with a few of her friends, gathered around a table, notebooks resting on their laps. One was talking, while the rest were taking notes. Without hearing exactly what they were talking about, Lucas was able to gather that they were working on completing their last assignment due before they graduated.

Deciding not to interrupt (because you do NOT want to make Amanda Friar mad), Lucas reluctantly headed back to his room and sat on the bed, simply staring at the bracelet he had pulled back out of his pocket. This was the only physical thing of Maya's that he held in his possession since she left. He felt like it was the only real connection he had left of her. He wasn't allowed in her room, and she wouldn't respond to any of his calls, texts or emails.

Hearing the scrape of chairs against the wooden floor, Lucas shook himself out of his thoughts and went to go confront his sister about his girlfriend's bracelet. He waited until the last guest left, and then walked into the light of the kitchen.

"Mandy," he called her nickname out bluntly.

Mocking him, she too used his nickname (one that only their family called him) "Luke."

"I have a question for you, and I want you to answer truthfully. Please, it's important to me."

Sighing, Amanda seated herself, and gestured her brother to do the same. "Okay, spill. What do you want to know?"

"I found this," Lucas pulled the bracelet out of his pocket, "on the floor in my room. This is Maya's. I gave it to her, and I want to know how it got here."

Managing to keep a straight face, Amanda replied: "Oh, that? That's an easy question. I was in contact with Maya the night she left. She told me she was sending me something, something that was important to her and that she wanted me to keep safe. She told me she was going to be moving around a lot, and didn't want to risk losing it. A few days later, an envelope with the bracelet came in the mail. I guess I dropped it without realizing it when I went to put it in a drawer for safekeeping."

All the while his sister was talking, he studied her face. Even when they had been young, she had been horrible at lying. Her nose would crinkle and she would play with her hair. When he didn't see any clues of lies, he asked one more question. "So she was never here?"

Shaking her head, Amanda pushed her chair back. "No, Lucas. She never was. She's off with a friend, who's also a friend of mine. She's a hundred percent safe. Trust me on that."

Satisfied that his sister didn't lie to him, Lucas rose, slipping the bracelet back into his pocket.

As he was heading back to put the bracelet in his bag, his sister called out to him. "She did say she'll be passing through on her way back home to pick up her bracelet. Next week sometime."

Lucas inwardly groaned. She'd be right here in a week, and he'd be back in New York, getting ready to graduate. _Maybe she'll magically show up for my graduation. She does know about it_ , he mused to himself. He'd let himself hope.

* * *

Amanda entered her room, closing it behind her. She felt bad for lying to her brother, but it was necessary in this case. She had promised Maya, and she intended to keep that promise. Thankfully, she had gotten better at stifling her tells. Lucas used to be able to see right through her.

* * *

To: Maya

From: Amanda

 _He found your bracelet, but I covered it up. He doesn't know. I hope you and Bradley are having fun. See you next week._

* * *

To: Mandy

From: Maya

 _Thanks, Mandy. I owe you. See you next week. I'll tell you all about the roadtrip then_

* * *

Setting her alarm, Amanda settled into bed. She grabbed the book on the nightstand, and opened it, as per her tradition of reading before bed. As the sky darkened, she let her mind wander to wonder what the Hart siblings were up to.

* * *

an: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it took so long for me to update. My school is in the middle of our fall play, so I've been working on that.

 **QOTC: what do you think Lucas was up to?**

 **QOTC2: whose POV do you want to see next**

Review, favorite and follow!

~R5 is my life


	7. bickering and breakdowns

Title: and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

 ** _Notes:_**

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for a while (if you want a prequel to find out how the began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

[Lucas is graduating a month early- his last week is the week after spring break, and he graduates that Sunday]

* * *

Bradley and Maya bickered a lot in the car over what music to play. Bradley's preferred choice of music was classical, shown through the extensive amount of Mozart on his phone. Maya scowled as she scrolled through symphony after symphony, looking for some "decent music." Huffing with frustration, she set his phone down and pulled hers out. She scrolled through the few classical songs she had, determined not to let her brother know she liked the same music as him. Instead, she continued searching until she smiled triumphantly, selecting the first song. The first note filled the air, and Bradley's face contorted into a look of confusion.

"Now this is real music," Maya smiled widely.

"What even is this, Maya?"

Rolling her eyes, his sister responded. "How can you NOT know? Have you been living under a rock?"

"No, I've just spent the last four years in college," he replied, voice dripping with unfiltered sarcasm. "I've been busy, Maya Penelope. Now, can you please answer my question?"

Huffing, she retorted "It's panic! at the disco, Bradley... whatever your middle name is."

Smirking, Bradley responded. "I am never telling you my middle name, little sis."

Groaning, Maya at back in her seat, pulling her legs up to her chest. She adjusted the seat belt. She slipped her phone out of her black leather jacket pocket, unlocking it to see if she had any messages. Seeing all the emails and texts she had from her friends, she reluctantly started sifting through them. She ignored all the ones from Lucas pleading her to answer, and the ones from her "father" that were all him yelling at her to come back. Her thumb hovered over a message from Shawn who was checking in on her again. Ever since she left, he would check in on her about once or twice a week. But now things were different. Shawn no longer was just someone who she looked up to. No, now she knew that he was actually her father. She couldn't bring herself to open the email, so she locked her phone and dropped it in the cup holder.

"What was that all about?"

Looking up from her nails, Maya responded. "Shawn. He checks up on me a couple times a week. But ever since you told me who he really is… I can't bring myself to respond. I haven't responded to him since then, and he's getting worried."

"Wait, you know who he is? I didn't realize that you may actually know him, and well."

"Yeah.. I met him in middle school. My life had been pretty shitty until then. He turned my life around. Mom was always out working, and my "dad" was always out getting drunk or something. I was home alone, and resented both of my parents. Then mom missed my birthday. He was a broken kid, too. He understood. He knew what it was like to live with half a parent. He went to go find her, and bring her back to Rebecca's. He rebuilt our relationship. I found out why she was always working. He treated me well, and became my real father figure. My own dad, and not someone else's too, like Rebecca's dad had been. He cared about me, and he gave me hope."

Silence fell over the two siblings, as the elder let the information sink in. When he had blurted out the truth, Bradley never considered the fact that there was anyway that Maya could know Shawn.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, Maya beat him to it. "Why did you never try to contact me or mom? And would you ever have? You didn't plan on us meeting."

Bradley hesitated, sensing the fragileness in his sister's voice. "I...I don't know. I guess I was scared of what I might've found. I don't know. I don't know if I wouldn't contacted either of you. I wanted to, and I'm glad we met, but I just don't know. I may have contacted you eventually, or maybe I wouldn't've."

He watched as Maya's eyes grew dark enough to resemble a stormy sea. "Then maybe this was a mistake. Maybe we shouldn't even be on this road trip. It's obvious you weren't dedicated about finding me or mom, so why are you putting up with me now? If you didn't know if you were going to contact us, then I'm going to assume that you were never planning on it. So you know what? I don't need to be around another person who doesn't think I'm important enough. I'm used to being everybody's second choice. Whether it was second to Mom's work, or to my friends, or even my dad or teacher, I'm still used to it. That's not a good thing, but it's something that I have to deal with. So you know what? I'm putting an end to this right now. I'm going to get out of this car, take my stuff and go home to where I know some people want me."

"Wait, Maya. Please. You don't know what my life has been like either. I'm just scared of losing another family member. I grew up without my mom and my dad was never around and I never was able to meet you until now."

"Hardy har har you think your life was so hard?" she responded sarcastically. "Maybe it wasn't all sunshine and daisies, but it was nowhere near mine and I know that you know that. stop this damn car right now and let me out!" She slammed her hand against the window to emphasize her point.

Seeing that he had no choice in the matter, Bradley took the next oasis exit and pulled into a parking spot. Reluctantly he turned off the car, and as soon as he did Maya took off. All she took with her was her phone, not caring about the luggage that she had in the trunk.

Maya made a dash for the bathroom, locking it. As soon as she had entered it, she pulled out her phone and began dialing Riley's phone number. She tapped her foot anxiously against the floor, giving up as she began to slide down the door. Tears began to form in her eyes as she heard the phone ring once, twice…

"Maya?" Riley's voice asked following the sixth ring. "Peaches, what's wrong?"

"Bradley," was the only word the girl was able to utter as sobs began to rack her body.

"Why, what happened?" Riley asked, more alert. A distant knock came from her side of the line, but Riley chose to ignore it.

"He-," Maya was cut off by a knock on the door.

"Maya Penelope?" a quiet voice asked. "Can I talk to you?"

Anger took over the petite girl, and she sob-yelled back. "Go the fuck away, Bradley Hart! I don't want to talk to you! I hate you!"

"Maya," he replied in a pained voice.

"Go," she voiced, tone softer. "I need to talk to my sister."

Giving up on getting through to his sister, Bradley walked away. " _Sister?_ " he muttered to himself as he sat down on a bench outside the building. _Do I have another sister? he thought to himself. Maya never mentioned a sister._

He sat lost in thought as Maya worked through her problems with her best friend.

"Peaches, talk to me," Riley continued, like the knocking wasn't happening. "You can trust me."

Maya recounted her tale, emphasizing over and over again that "He didn't know if he was ever going to contact us. He said he wanted to, and that he's glad we met, but he didn't know. He said he may have contacted us eventually, or maybe he wouldn't've."

Riley's heart broke, hearing her sister so broken. She hated that Maya constantly put herself second, like she didn't believe she was allowed to be happy. It took her a long time to accept that Riley was over Lucas, and that it was okay to like him. And even then, it had taken awhile for Maya to allow herself to be with Lucas. Riley knew that having an older sibling made Maya happy, and she didn't want that to change.

Glancing at her locked window, Riley saw Farkle and Lucas looking at her expectantly. Holding up a finger to tell them to wait, she returned to talking to Maya.

"Maya, I'm sure he would've contacted you. He may not be, but if he's anything like you tell me, he would've. He loves you, Maya. He's your brother. Siblings fight, it's only natural."

"I know, it's just… It feels like I'm being left by another family member, even though he isn't leaving. I just can't shake the feeling that something's going to go wrong because of him."

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Riley soothed, finally relenting to the knocking on her window. "Farkle and Lucas are here, Peaches." Riley unlocked the window to let her friends enter her room.

"Then I'm going to go now, Pumpkin. I'll see you soon. I'm coming home in about a week. I miss you, Riles."

"I miss you too, Maya," Riley whispered as Lucas and Farkle slid in through her window. "Promise you'll call as soon as you get home?"

"I'll do one better. Keep your window unlocked the evening I come home. We'll catch up in the bay window."

Riley smiled as she bid a final farewell to her friend. She was about to hang up, when Lucas grabbed her phone. "Maya? Shortstack, are you still there?" he asked frantically, hoping her voice would respond to him. But all he heard was the dial tone. She had hung up the minute she heard her boyfriend's voice.

"No luck, Lucas?" Riley asked symphatecially. "She'll be home soon. Just about a week."

"But I won't be here then! I'll be getting back from Texas when she arrives here!"

"What are you talking about, Lucas? You're going back to Texas?" Farkle asked his friend.

"Yeah, my parents are making me go right after I graduate for a week. I can't do anything about it."

"You're leaving in two days then?"

"Yeah," Lucas sighed. "I wish I didn't have to."

* * *

Maya wiped the smudged makeup of her face before taking a deep breathe and exiting the bathroom to go find her brother. She forced back the tears that had started forming the minute she heard Lucas call her Shortstack. She may have originally hated that nickname, but now she missed it.

"Bradley?" she whispered timidly to the hunched figure perched on the worn bench.

He turned around quickly at the sound of his sister's voice. "Maya Penelope," he breathed, relieved to see his sister. "Are you okay?"

Maya nodded, then seemed to change her mind. She shook her head as tears began to spill from her azure eyes. "I just… I want to go home, but I can't yet. I miss Riley. She's like my sister. She means the world to me. I miss Zay and Farkle and Lucas," her breath hitched on the last name.

"Hey, we'll get you home soon, got it? And I'll come with you. I want to meet these people who were there for you when I couldn't."

Maya smiled through her tears. Her family could be together. Her chosen family, and her birth family. Her mom, Shawn (it was still weird for her to think about), Farkle, Zay, the Matthews (especially Riley), and Lucas.

She could have a happy family for once.

* * *

So sorry it took forever to update this story. I've been busy with a lot of stuff. I'll try to update this story, as well as _Twenty Times He Saw Her Cry_ , more often.

Thanks for reading this chapter

Review, favorite and follow!

~R5 is my life


	8. discoveries and something new

and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

 ** _Notes:_**

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for a while (if you want a prequel to find out how the began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

[Lucas is graduating a month early- his last week is the week after spring break, and he graduates that Sunday]

* * *

Riley pulled her jacket tighter around her as she walked down the busy streets of New York. Her phone was clutched tightly in her hand as she weaved between the sea of people. As spring break had just begun, she, Farkle and Zay had been spending a lot of time together.

They had arranged to meet at Farkle's to facetime their friend who was visiting his roots back in Texas. Riley climbed the brick steps leading to her longtime friend's front door. She rang the doorbell, hearing the chiming coming inside the house notifying Farkle that she had arrived.

The door flung open twenty seconds later. Farkle beamed at Riley, as he secured his beanie on his head with one hand. His eyes brightened as they landed on his one best friend still in state. "Hey Riley," he murmured softly, a soft pink dusting his cheeks.

"Hi Farkle," she exclaimed, her wide smile dancing across her face. She shed her coat, hanging it on the mahogany pegs that lined the wall besides the door. Slipping her boots off, she followed her friend up the stairs. She and Farkle struck up a conversation as they made the way up to his room, stepping over the toys littering the wood, and not needing to know when there was a landing. Riley glided easily to his room, her muscle memory leading her up without a problem. Afterall, she had been friends with him since first grade.

Farkle held open the door to his room for the brunette girl. She floated past him, skirt swishing around her knees.

Zay was already seated on Farkle's desk chair, spinning himself around. "Took you long enough. I was starting to get bored."

The three friends crowded around Farkle's laptop, waiting for Lucas to accept their call.

"Sorry," Farkle muttered as he wobbled, hand steadying himself by resting on Riley's waist. He let his hand linger a moment longer, then withdrew, not meeting Riley's eyes.

"It's fine, Farkle," she responded, smiling. Her eyes darted to the screen as Lucas' face appeared, missing her best friend's steady gaze locked on her face.

Zay watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow, silently filing both his friends' reactions away for later. Something was up.

"Hey guys," Lucas perked up, seeing his friends' faces. "How've you been?"

"Well," Zay hesitated, glancing at the other two in the room with him. "You know. Same old, same old."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, catching what his friend was trying to convey. "Well then," he smiled. "You're going to have to catch me up later, Zay. What about you two?" he aimed his question at the two native New Yorkers.

Riley grinned and rambled on as to what they had been up to on their week off of school. Her eyes lit up as she animatedly waved her hands to emphasize her excitement.

Zay observed his genius friend watch Riley with adoring eyes and a small smile. Grinning to himself, Zay turned back to his friend on the monitor. He watched as a familiar face joined Lucas' onscreen. "Hey Mandy. Long time no see."

"Hey Zay. How's New York treating you?"

"Wait," Riley interjected. "Who's this?"

"That's Lucas' older sister, Amanda. She lives in Texas for college, so that's why we never met her. Lucas told me about her a couple weeks ago," Farkle shrugged.

"Oh," Riley replied quietly. "Well, nice to meet you. I'm-"

"Riley Matthews, I assume. Lucas has told me all about his friends," came the reply.

Lucas groaned, hiding his face with his hands. "Mandy, you don't have to tell them _everything_ I said."

Amanda ruffled her younger brother's hair. "Ah, don't worry. I won't spill anything.I know what it feels like to be on the other side. Remember that time, Lucas? You spilled to Michael."

Lucas looked sheepish. "Yeah… sorry about that. But hey, it's all fine now, right? You two are still friends."

Amanda let a soft laugh bubble out of her. "Yeah, it's all good now. But it sucked at the time. Those months sucked."

The two Friar siblings turned back towards the younger's friends.

The time passed quickly as Lucas fell into a comfortable conversation with his friends. He had only been gone three days, but ever since he arrived in New York, he hadn't spent a lot of time away from them. They hung out every weekend, and had their classes together.

As the rime in New York approached five, the three friends bid goodbye to their friend currently residing in Texas.

As soon as Lucas had hung up, Zay jumped up, grabbing Farkle's wrist. "I gotta talk to you. Be back soon," he directed at Riley as he pulled the genius out of the room.

"What was the about?" Zay questioned, crossing his arms across his chest.

Farkle fidgeted. "What are you talking about?"

Zay scoffed. "Don't play dumb with me. I know you know what I'm talking about.

Farkle sighed, knowing he couldn't argue with his friend. His friend had a stubborn streak that could rival Lucas'. "Fine. I really like Riley."

"How long?"

"Since forever."

* * *

Riley let her fingers dance over the picture frames that were perched on Farkle's desk. There was a wide assortment of them, ranging from the original trio of them and Maya back in first grade, to pictures of them with Zay and Lucas taken a few months ago. She smiled softly. She loved having Lucas and Zay around, and they were some of her closest friends, but part of her missed the good old days when it was just her, Maya and Farkle. The three friends against the world.

A small giggle escaped her lips as she found the first picture of the three ever taken. Farkle had his arms around both of the girls, a wide smile spanning his face. Maya looked a little peeved, and Riley's smile rivaled Farkle's. She lifted the frame up gently, then sat down on the bed behind her.

She remembered the first day she and Maya met Farkle like it was yesterday. They had been working on projects about polar bears. They were told to get in groups of three, and everyone quickly scrambled to get with their friends, leaving the two girls and Farkle left to be a group. Maya had been wary of the super genius, but Riley welcomed him with open arms. Maya eventually warmed up to him, and they had been inseparable since.

She flopped down on the bed, exhaustion rolling over her like waves of water over sand castles. Her eyes were lidded, her chocolate eyes peaking out from their hiding spot behind the lids. Her soft tresses fell like waves upon the indigo bedsheets. Her breathing slowed as the tension left her body. She fell into a half-awake state as the sun descended into the sky.

* * *

Lucas opened his laptop, opening up a word document. He began writing, letting the words flow from his brain, out his fingertips, and onto the document. A small smile crept onto his face as he wove together a world full of color, sounds, tastes and smells.

Lucas had always had a knack for writing, but no one knew about it besides Amanda. When he was younger, he'd hole himself up in his room for hours and write. He had half finished stories and one liners everywhere. Ideas were blocked out on homework, and napkins and on the edge of newspapers and magazines. Anything he could get his hands on.

It was escape. He could create a world where his problems were irrelevant. He could forget what was going on in his life, and go on adventures with his characters

So that's what he did for the next four hours.

* * *

Riley felt a little nudge against her shoulder, and her eyes slowly fluttered open, seeing her friend's familiar face smiling down at her. "Hey, Farkle," she murmured, stretching her lanky limbs.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he responded, perching himself on the edge of his bed. "Your parents just called saying they want you home."

"What time is it?" Riley groggily sat up.

"It's half past seven. You've been asleep for almost two hours. I didn't want to wake you. I know how exhausted you've been lately."

"Thanks, Farkle," Riley hugged him. "When did Zay leave?" she questioned, missing the pink dusting her friend's cheeks.

"Over an hour ago," he mumbled, looking down at his shoes.

"You should've woken me up. Your parents aren't here and without Zay, you must have been bored."

"It's okay Riley," he smiled, shaking his head. "You needed the sleep, and I got some things done that I wanted to do. Come on, I'll walk you home."

* * *

Maya's head rested against the cool glass of the car window. The stars were bright in the sky, and she watched them in awe. She couldn't see them in New York. Her phone was clutched in her hand, a picture of her and her friends displayed on the screen. She held it close to her body as she started to drift off to sleep, the clock telling her it was 11:47 pm.

She and Bradley had worked out their family problems, and resolved to create a real family when they went back to New York: Katy, Shawn, Maya, Bradley.

Classical music floated on the air as Bradley steadily drove down the expressway. They would be heading back to Amanda's soon, and then to the Big Apple.

They only had a little time to themselves until they'd have to face Maya's friends and family in New York and explain how they were related.

And Maya was not looking forward to that part.

* * *

an: thanks for reading. sorry it took me so long to update- i was busy with college apps. they're all in, so hopefully i'll be able to update this story, and "twenty time she saw her cry" more often

also sorry this chapter isn't super long. i just wanted to get something up and add a little more depth to the characters individually, and the bonds between them.

Riarkle, anyone?

also, i made a new fanfiction account i will also be using. i posted the first chapter of a lucaya au story over there. let me know if i should continue it. i'll be mainly focusing on finishing this story, but i'll continue updating "twenty times he saw her cry" and working on "the other side," which is the story on my other account. for those of you who read "fools," there will be at least one more chapter coming. i have the idea in my mind for one, or possibly two more chapters.

my other account is: **livingthelucayalife** (i also have the same account name for one of my instagram accounts, and one of my tumblr accounts)

Review, follow and favorite!

~R5 is my life


	9. everything changes

and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

 _ **Notes:**_

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older, turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group.

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for awhile (if you want a prequel to find out how they began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

[Lucas is graduating a month early- his last week is the week after spring break, and he graduates that Sunday]

* * *

Lucas woke up Saturday morning to the insistent sound of his alarm blaring. He groaned as he reluctantly rolled out of bed. It was 4:30 am, and he was supposed to be getting ready to go to the airport to go back home to New York.

He dragged himself to the kitchen, grabbing a bagel and an apple to eat on the way there.

Amanda yawned as she grabbed her keys and purse. "Ready to head back home, Luke?" she asked sleepily.

"Mmm," he hummed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and grabbing his suitcase. "It'll be nice to see my friends again."

The car ride to the airport was silent, as Lucas drifted in and out of consciousness and Amanda focused on the road in front of her.

Upon their arrival, Lucas felt himself being shaken awake by his sister. He reluctantly opened his eyes to see the huge airport. Sighing, he grabbed his backpack that was resting at his feet, and made to get out of the car. He opened the trunk, lifting his midnight suitcase out of it before slamming the trunk shut.

He hugged his sister for a long time, telling her without actually saying how thankful he was that she let him stay with her and helping him feel okay.

The siblings separated, and Lucas turned to face the airport that was more crowded that he expected at this early hour.

He watched his sister pull away, and drive away. As soon as he couldn't see her anymore he entered the airport, suitcase bumping along behind him.

The line for security was short, and he made it to his gate with forty minutes to spare. He grabbed his phone, set his music on shuffle, and relaxed, letting the music soothe him.

When boarding began, he made his way slowly onto the plane. As soon as the plane took off, he'd be leaving his first home and sister behind him. Texas calmed his nerves that had been on edge ever since Maya left. Now he'd be going back to New York, where he'd be in a constant state of anxiety because that's where he met Maya, and everything there reminded him of her.

The plane had about fifteen empty seats, and he was glad the one beside his window seat would not be occupied. He didn't have it in him to interact with anyone more than telling the flight attendant what he wanted to drink.

Lucas scrolled through the pictures saved on his phone, smiling when he saw his girlfriend's face. She was a beauty, and he missed her teasing him and calling him Huckleberry, and Ranger Rick, and Sundance among the rest.

He opened his notes, prepared to write when he noticed one that he didn't remember writing. He opened it, and his eyes widened as he recognized the distinctive typing style of Maya: no capital letters.

 _april 31th- lucas' graduation_

 _may 27th- riley, farkle, zay and me graduate_

 _year, food, light, stars, night time, walk, beach, school, horse, riley, farkle, zay, locket, charm, texas, cowboy, quiet_

 _a cool breeze, a quiet night_

 _see the stars, glow and gleam_

 _the flames within, you ignite_

 _this is a fantasy, this is a dream_

 _being here with you_

Lucas had no idea what the seemingly random words had to do with each other, but Maya must. He had no idea when she had had the time to write down her ideas on his phone. It was obvious the lines of verse at the bottom was something she was writing, most likely a new song. A genuine smile appeared on his face, knowing that since she had written the snippet in his phone, that she intended for him to see it, and that it was likely about him.

He sighed, as he settled back into his seat, preparing him for the emotions that were sure to hit him the moment the plane touched down in New York.

* * *

Lucas dropped his stuff off in his room, then walked over to the Matthews apartment, headphones in as he played all of Maya's favorite music that he started to enjoy himself after spending so much time with her. She really was rubbing off on him, and Zay had started to joke that soon he'd be exactly like her.

When he arrived at Riley's, he slipped in the bay window, to where his friends were waiting for him. He knew it was late, and that was evident by the sleepy look on Riley's face and by the fact that her head was drooping onto Farkle's shoulder, and that her eyelids were half closed. "Sorry that I called you here so late, guys. I just wanted to talk to you." His eyes were tired, dark bags under his eyes, even despite the break he took in Texas. His eyes were dull, the shine long gone.

"It's okay, Lucas," Riley yawned, pulling her legs up onto the bay window seat. Noticing how tired the brunette was, their genius friend wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her closer to him, letting her snuggle up to him. The Texan raised his eyebrow as he watched the interaction, but didn't say anything about it.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Zay asked.

"Oh, yeah," Lucas shook himself out of his thoughts. "So, Riley. Any updates on Maya?"

"Mmm, not since I last looked. Let me check," she mumbled. She raised her head to look at Farkle, eyes clouded with sleepiness. "Thanks," she smiled as he pulled her phone out of his pocket. As she unlocked it to check for messages, the two Texan boys grinned at each other.

"Riley," Farkle gently nudged her as her eyes began to droop. "Just keep your eyes open a little bit later. Then we'll get you to bed, because you need to be awake tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah. M'kay, so Maya texted me about an hour ago, saying she's on her way back. She should be getting here in a few hours."

"Then I'll wait up for her!" Lucas exclaimed ecstatically.

As though those words had given her an electric shock, Riley shot up, eyes wide. "No, don't do that. She said she's exhausted and she'll meet us at Topanga's tomorrow after school. Please, Lucas. I know you really want to see her, but can't you wait just a little bit longer? She needs sleep, and to unpack."

Reluctantly, he agreed. "Fine, but that's as long as I'm going to wait."

"I know, Lucas," Riley consoled him. "I'll text you when we're going to meet. Now, was that all?"

"Yeah, sorry about that," Lucas apologized sheepishly. "Get some sleep, Riley," he suggested as he stood up. "C'mon, Zay," he called out to his best friend and neighbor. And with that, the two Texan boys left.

Farkle stood up, then offered Riley his hand, in order to help her up. She took it gratefully, smiling up at him, her brown eyes sparkling. Riley shuffled off to brush her teeth, while Farkle went over to her dresser, eyes taking in all the pictures she had.

"She's coming over now, isn't she?" Farkle asked as he heard Riley walk back into the room, as he continued to look at the photos.

Riley nodded. "Yeah, she is. She just… wants to talk to Lucas alone, and I missed her and I know you do, and while Lucas and Zay are great friends, it'll be nice to be just us again. Like when we were back in grade school. Just the three of us against the world."

Smiling, Farkle turned to look at the brunette. "You're right. For the longest time, it was just us. And while we have some more great friends at this point, I sometimes miss when it was just the three of us. Do you want to put a movie in when Maya gets here, and have a sleepover just like the old days? We don't have to be there until two tomorrow, so we have time."

"Sounds great!" Riley exclaimed as she went over to her shelf of movies. She grabbed _Mulan_ , and set it up. Just as she was going to get comfortable on her bed, there was a knock at her window.

"Maya!" Riley ran over to the bay window, beaming as her sister slipped into her room. She tackled the blonde with a hug, tears pricking her eyes. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too, Riles," Maya whispered. Her blue eyes sought out the other member of their trio, silently gesturing him to join the hug. He did, a smile spreading across his face at the sight of his two best friends.

They stayed in a group hug for a few minutes. They separated long enough for Maya to take of her shoes, and for the three to get settled on Riley's bed.

"Just like the good old days, huh?" Maya reminisced, as Riley slipped her hand into the blonde's.

Farkle nodded in agreement. "Just us against the world."

* * *

The next morning found the three teens curled up together, making it hard to tell where one stopped and another began. The sun streamed through the window, waking them up. Maya was the first to rise, grabbing her phone from her bag that was on the bay window seat.

A knock on the door had the other two sitting up as Topanga walked in, smiling as she saw the blonde. She had known Maya was arriving, and along with Farkle, would be staying the night. Maya had arrived home a couple hours before Lucas, but had wanted to spend time with her two best friends before seeing her boyfriend again. So Riley had asked her mom if her two closest friends could stay the night and have breakfast with them, and Topanga agreed.

Topanga embraced the blonde she considered her daughter, then announced that breakfast was ready. "Do you want to invite your brother, Maya? We'd like to meet him."

"Yeah, sure. I'll text him. I know he wants to meet you guys." Maya quickly fired off a text to her brother as she and her friends made their way to the dining table where a huge breakfast buffet was laid out.

The group easily fell into conversation as Maya told them about her adventures, when a knock on the door interrupted them.

"I'll get it," Maya stood up. "It's probably Bradley." She made her way over to the door, opening it to reveal her brother. She hugged him, then pulled him by his hand over to the table. "Everyone, this is my half brother Bradley," she introduced. "Bradley, this is Riley, Farkle, Mr. Matthews, Topanga and Auggie," she pointed at each one in turn.

Smiling, Bradley waved at them as he took a seat next to his sister. "It's nice to meet you all. Maya Penelope's told me a lot about you."

Maya playfully glared at him when he used her nickname, as he turned towards her friends and began asking them questions.

Maya smiled softly as she watched the Matthews and Farkle invite her brother into their close knit group. She finally felt like she could have a real family. The Matthews, Farkle, Lucas, Bradley, Shawn and her mom. But first she would have to introduce Bradley to Lucas and Shawn, as they didn't know he existed, and explain to her mom how she found him and what she learned from him. She would worry about that later. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy being home with most of the people she loved most in the world.

* * *

Lucas lay on his bed, staring at the white ceiling. It was slightly after five, and Riley still hadn't texted him to meet at Topanga's. He was growing impatient. And who could blame him?

He scrambled out of bed as his phone went off, grabbing it off his desk.

 _Hey. Meet me at Topanga's in half an hour. -Maya_

A smile blossomed as he received contact from the blonde for the first time since she left. Lucas quickly changed his shirt, making sure his tattoo was covered, as his parents still didn't know he had it. He grabbed the single red rose out of the vase on his window sill. Glancing at the time, he decided he'd head to Topanga's early and wait for Maya there. He threw on a light jacket, and left.

As he walked towards the bakery, his pace increased. He couldn't wait to pull the petite blonde into his arms and just hold her again. He didn't want to let her go again.

Lucas slowed as he approached, seeing Maya, but she wasn't alone. With her, was someone he had never seen before. The mystery guy was tall, taller than him, and had dirty blonde hair. His hands were casually stuffed in his pockets as he smiled down at the blonde girl. Lucas inched closer, suspicious. He was able to catch the end of their conversation.

"Good luck, Maya Penelope. Love you," the mystery guy grinned as he hugged said girl.

"I love you, too," she responded, rolling her eyes playfully. "Now leave me alone, Bradley," she smiled, gently pushing him away from her. Before he left, the mystery guy now identified as Bradley gently kissed her forehead, waving as he left.

Scowling, Lucas stepped out of the shadows, no longer happy to see Maya. "Maya."

She turned around, and beamed when she saw him. "Lucas! I missed you!"

"Yeah, sure you did," the Texan boy scoffed.

"I did," Maya said slowly.

"No, you didn't. I missed you, and it hurt spending this much time away from you, but I managed because I knew why you left. And I realized when you were gone that I'm in love you. But you just went and threw what we had away. I saw your little exchange with _Bradley,_ " he mocked. "So if you love him so much, just go be with him. And to think, all I did when you were gone was wait for you. Take this," he spat as he threw the rose at the stunned girl's feet. "We're through, Maya. Have a nice life."

And then he was gone.

* * *

an: I'm so sorry it's taken this long for me to update. I've been busy, as I'm now in college. I know where I want this story to go, so I will continue to write this story. I might not update super often, but I will finish it. There are a few more chapters left.

What do you think is going to happen next?

~R5 is my life


	10. The Aftermath and the Reveal

and then she was gone

Rating: T (language/themes- may change)

Summary: AU- Maya lives with her caring mother and verbally abusive father. She's waiting until she's 18 to leave, but after one night's fight, she runs away, leaving her friends heartbroken.

 _ **Notes:**_

Shawn and Katy know and like each other, but whenever Katy mentions divorce to her husband, fighting ensues.

I changed Maya's father's name from Kermit to Mitchell.

Maya, Riley and Farkle are and almost are 18, while Lucas, being a year older, turned 19 a couple weeks ago.

Zay and Smackle are part of the group.

Lucas and Maya are dating, and have been for awhile (if you want a prequel to find out how they began dating, just let me know)

Everything else is mostly canon, sticking to what we know.

[Lucas is graduating a month early- his last week is the week after spring break, and he graduates that Sunday]

* * *

Maya stared, stunned as Lucas disappeared. She slowly bent down, picking up the rose that Lucas had brought with him. She gently ran her fingers over the soft petals, the corner of her mouth pulling upwards, only to drop when she fully processed what had just happened.

Lucas had just broken up with her.

* * *

Lucas scowled at the ground as he made his way home. It had been weeks since he had last seen his now ex-girlfriend, and he had never stopped loving her, never gave into the constant invites to dates from many girls. He knew he loved Maya, and he would wait for her. It would be worth it.

Except, now it seemed like it wasn't. Lucas had thought their relationship had been going well, until she left. True, they had their fair share of arguments, but it was only natural, and not even one of the arguments spiraled out of control. They worked through everything, and except for those moments, always seemed to be laughing and smiling.

Lucas never thought Maya would find someone else, then proceed to try and lie to him about it. It was only because he had been early, excited to see and hold her in his arms, that he discovered what he believed was the truth, in the form of the one Maya called Bradley. He wondered how long the blonde hoped to keep up the charade, until it came to light, but he wouldn't have to worry about that anymore.

Lucas entered his room, slamming the door behind him before flopping face down on his bed. He was angry. Angry at Maya for finding someone else, angry at himself for believing that they could last, angry at his parents from keeping them apart when they still had been together, angry at Maya's father for hurting her and her mother. He was annoyed at Riley for keeping all communication with the blonde a secret, and at his other friends for not siding with him,

Scowling, Lucas got out of bed, and headed to his closet, pushing all of Maya's belongings aside as he looked for his gym bag. Finding it, he quickly threw on workout clothes, grabbed his bag, and ducked out his window, making his way to his car. He tossed the bag in the passenger seat, and drove off.

* * *

He returned to his home hours later, sweating and tired, but feeling a little bit better. He took a shower, then passed out on his bed, too tired to eat anything. He had a fitful night's sleep, awakened by the sun shining in through his window.

He groaned as he turned over, muscles sore from the workout he put them through the day before in order to let all his frustration out without hurting anyone.

Lucas pushed himself up, crawling out of bed to look at himself in the mirror, scrunching up his nose when he saw the state of his hair. If it had been a normal Saturday, he would've silently got out of bed, as to not wake the sleeping beauty that was still in his bed, only to hear her voice teasing him about his bedhead.

Maya usually spent the Friday night at his place after sneaking in through his window so as not to disturb his parents. It was around eight at night, on Fridays he didn't have a game, that he'd hear the familiar knock on his window. They would cuddle up on Lucas' bed, watching movies and making out until they fell asleep. And when they woke up in the morning, they'd get brunch. It was their tradition.

But the teasing didn't come.

* * *

Maya furiously shoved her clothes back in her bags, anger flaring in her eyes as Riley tried to calm her down.

"Maya," Riley tried again, resting her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Maya, please."

"Does he really think that I could move on and forget him, forget our relationship that easily? After everything we've been through?" Maya replied, angry tears running down her face, smearing her makeup. "Riley, I love him. For the first time, I let myself love someone that I didn't consider family, and look how it ended up."

"I know it hurts, Maya. But it won't last forever."

* * *

"You sure about this, Maya Penelope?" Bradley asked as his sister opened the passenger door. "You know you could just talk to him about this."

"If he thinks I would move on from him just like that, then he's not who I thought he was. Riley will tell him, then it's up to him to fix this, if he even wants to. It's his fault, and I'm not cleaning up the mess he made," Maya responded, determination clear in her cerulean eyes. "Let's get going," she sighed, fastening her seatbelt.

Bradley nodded, shifting into drive, and began making his way to the interstate, letting his sister sit in silence.

Maya's mind was racing. It was just her luck that she had just gotten home after being gone for weeks, just to turn back around and leave again less than 48 hours later. Despite the fact that the time she was back was all too short, she was thankful that she was able to spend time with the Matthews and have a sleepover with her two best friends just like they had been doing for years.

This time, she would make sure to keep in contact with all her friends, because it would be too hard not to. She was with Riley when she made her decision to leave with her brother for the summer. They'd be staying with Amanda and two of her friends in Florida. Amanda and her friends were celebrating their graduation from college, and after becoming close with Maya, immediately offered her and Bradley the chance to stay with them, and the two siblings agreed.

Maya had made arrangements with her high school for her completion of high school. Maya had enough credit hours and completed all necessary requirements to graduate, as well sending in all assignments for the classes she had missed the past few weeks. The school board knew of her special situation, and agreed to send her diploma to her. They didn't know of the short return and that she was leaving again, instead thinking that after she left the first time, she wouldn't be returning.

After making sure the school board knew to send her diploma to where she'd be staying in Florida, Maya contacted her brother to come pick her up from the Matthews. She already had her bags packed, and was prepared to spend a couple months in Florida, before returning to New York to gather the stuff she needed for her first semester of college.

"You okay, Maya Penelope?" Bradley asked, voice soft.

"I will be," Maya responded as the sped down the interstate.

* * *

Riley glared at Lucas when he approached Topanga's. He had hurt her sister, and she wasn't going to forgive him for that.

"Hey," Farkle whispered, squeezing her hand. "I know you're mad, I am too. But anger won't necessarily help our argument."

Sighing, Riley nodded. "You're right," she reluctantly agreed as Lucas reached their table, hands shoved in his sweatshirt pockets.

Lucas collapsed on the chair across from his two friends, who were watching him carefully, trying to figure out how he was feeling, so as not to make this conversation any harder.

"Hey guys," Lucas smiled softly, seeing his friends.

"Lucas," Riley responded shortly.

Confused, Lucas opened his mouth to ask the brunette a question, but was interrupted by her tirade.

"You are so stupid sometimes, Lucas Friar. Why did you break up with Maya? Let me finish," she glared, watching the Texan open his mouth. "I know what you saw, Maya told me. And let me tell you, you got everything wrong. She is NOT in a relationship with Bradley. He's her half brother for crying out loud! When she was gone, she got to meet him. They're bonding as family. I've met Bradley, my whole family has and he's a great brother to Maya. She was excited for all of us to meet him, but now, thanks to you, she's gone. She won't be coming back this summer."

"She told us where'd she be, but we're not going to tell you," Farkle stepped in. "You messed up, buddy. She wanted to explain the situation to you, but you just freaked out and left. It's up to you to fix this. But first, she needs her space from you, trust me."

Riley and Farkle stood up. "I'm disappointed in you, Lucas," Riley frowned. "You hurt my sister, and that's not okay." And with that, they left their friend alone to think about what they had told him.

* * *

an: sorry it took so long to update, but I've been busy.

There are going to be two more chapters in this story, and the last one has already been written. Depending on the time I have and your thoughts, I may be writing a sequel, or a prologue.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you hope to see in the rest of this story.

~NewtsSuitcase


End file.
